Family Group Research Articles

CONSUMER EDUCATION, FAMILY AND REFERENCE GROUP INFLUENCE IN ASO EBI SELECTION IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

In Nigeria, the selection of aso ebi, a traditional attire worn for special occasions, is influenced by various social and familial factors. This study examined the relationship between family influence, reference group influence, and consumer education in the selection of aso ebi in Southwest Nigeria. Two research questions were posed, and two hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A correlational design was employed to collect data from 1200 adult individuals (aged 18 years and above) in the Southwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria, covering Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states. A validated, reliable, self-structured questionnaire titled "Consumer Education and Behaviour in the Choice of Aso Ebi Questionnaire (CEBCAQ)" was used for data collection. Data analysis was conducted using Pearson’s r and Fisher's Z statistics. Findings revealed a positive but low correlation between consumer education and both family (r = 0.10) and reference group purchasing behaviour (r = 0.14) in aso ebi selection. The relationship between consumer education and consumer behaviour was significantly stronger among male adults than female adults (rmales = 0.62, rfemales = 0.49, Zcal > Ztab); and significantly stronger among older adults than younger adults (rold =0.59, ryoung = 0.48, Zcal > Ztab). The study concludes that the complex interplay of social pressure, family dynamics, reference groups, and economic factors influencing aso ebi choices aligns with consumer behaviour surrounding clothing articles globally. Future research could explore how consumer education programs may be tailored to target families and address social influences in aso ebi selection.

System-wide health needs segmentation: innovating integrated care for complex needs households

Abstract Background Health needs segmentation is increasingly used in healthcare delivery and health policy planning to cater for diverse population groups and develop effective and equitable health policies. But existing models often lack a systemic approach, focusing instead on single conditions or settings. This leads to fragmentation, gaps and inefficiencies in service provision and inequities in health outcomes, particularly when addressing complexity, and specifically for children, as adversity clusters in families. Aims To develop a household health needs segmentation model to identify those households with children with high levels of complex cross-sectoral needs, to plan for integrated care services. Methods Data linkage of primary, secondary, mental, community and social care services, mortality records, residential information, and small-area multiple deprivation measures was used to design a rule-based model to identifying households with children with the most complex needs in the UK region of Cheshire and Merseyside (C&M), with large variation in demography, (human) geography, and deprivation. Results Of 2,645,329 individuals in C&M (97% of the registered population in 2021), 1,022,840 lived in 266,939 households with children aged 0-16: 21,527 households had complex needs. This 8% of families accounted for an estimated 34% of health and social care costs for families, £362 million in total, 42% of which spent on children in care of local authorities. Implications The model identified a specific group of families with complex service use patterns, high mental and physical comorbidity and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. These exhibit potential for improved outcomes through better integration of services and targeting of community building and family support resources. Conclusions Our model represents a significant innovation in health needs segmentation. By using whole system linked data, it provides a pragmatic way of profiling complexity for proactive care. Key messages • Complex health and social problems in children cluster in families with adults also having complex needs, so we need to transform fragmented services to support the whole family to improve outcomes. • Household level segmentation using cross-sectoral, whole system data is an innovation to identify households with complex needs with respect to their locality to improve integration of support.

The Role of Digital Technology in Social Interaction of Manembo-Nembo Village Community, Matuari District, Bitung City

The purpose of this study is to determine the role of digital technology in social interaction in the Manembo-Nembo Village, Matuari District, Bitung City using the technological determinism theory approach, believing that technology has a major influence on various aspects of human interaction, especially social and cultural life, as stated by Marshall McLuhan. Using qualitative methods based on observation and interviews by collecting data from purposive sampling, namely determining competent informants, namely 2 community informants, 2 government informants. The results of the study found that the role of digital technology in social interaction has changed according to current circumstances, such as digitalization, such as in families it is easier and faster to interact via digital media with relatives who are in different places, the quality of relationships is maintained by having direct meetings in family groups (arisan), then digital interaction with the community; the creation of virtual togetherness such as people celebrating happy moments virtually by sharing photos, videos, and stories, and sharing information about sad events experienced and becoming a means of digital marketing that can increase family economic income. Digital interaction with the government; in today's public services digitally, especially in the field of population data management (KTP, Family Card, Certificate management) has been done through applications and can be done anywhere, but if there are people who need help, the local government is ready to serve, in accordance with the policy of the Bitung city government to make the Kelurahan Hebat program (digitalization).

Protective Effect of EBF Transcription Factor 1 (EBF1) Polymorphism in Sporadic and Familial Spontaneous Preterm Birth: Insights from a Case-Control Study.

This study investigated the potential role of specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes Astrotactin 1 (ASTN1), EBF Transcription Factor 1 (EBF1), Eukaryotic Elongation Factor, Selenocysteine-tRNA Specific (EEFSEC), Microtubule-Associated Serine/Threonine Kinase 1 (MAST1), and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) to assess whether these genetic variants contribute to the risk of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). A case-control study was conducted involving 573 women from Croatia and Slovenia: 248 with sporadic sPTB (positive personal and negative family history of sPTB before 37 weeks' gestation), 44 with familial sPTB (positive personal and family history of sPTB before 37 weeks' gestation), and 281 control women. The analysis of ASTN1 rs146756455, EBF1 rs2963463, EBF1 rs2946169, EEFSEC rs201450565, MAST1 rs188343966, and TNF-α rs1800629 SNPs was performed using TaqMan real-time PCR. p-values were Bonferroni-adjusted for multiple comparisons. EBF1 SNP rs2963463 was significantly associated with sPTB (p adj = 0.03). Women carrying the CC genotype had a 3-4-times lower risk of sPTB (p adj < 0.0001). In addition, a significant difference in the frequency of the minor C allele was observed when comparing familial sPTB cases with controls (p adj < 0.0001). All other associations were based on unadjusted p-values. The minor T allele of EBF1 SNP rs2946169 was more frequent in sPTB cases overall than in controls, especially in sporadic sPTB (p = 0.045). Similarly, the CC genotype of ASTN1 SNP rs146756455 was more frequent in sporadic sPTB cases compared to controls (p = 0.019). Finally, the TNF-α SNP rs1800629 minor A allele and AA genotype were more common in the familial sPTB group compared to sporadic sPTB and controls (p < 0.05). The EBF1 SNP rs2963463 polymorphism showed a protective effect in the pathogenesis of sPTB, particularly in women carrying the CC genotype. Moreover, EBF1 SNP rs2946169 and ASTN1 SNP rs146756455, as well as TNF-α SNP rs1800629, were associated with an increased risk of sPTB, representing suggestive potential risk factors for sporadic and familial sPTB, respectively.

Assessment of Gluten-Free Products' Availability and Satisfaction in a Polish Population of Coeliac Disease Patients and Their Caregivers.

Among the most important challenges associated with the gluten-free diet are the high costs and limited availability of gluten-free products, accompanied by the lower nutritional value of gluten-free products. The aim of the presented study was to assess gluten-free products' availability and satisfaction in a Polish population of coeliac-disease patients and their caregivers. The study was conducted in a population of Polish female coeliac-disease patients and female family members/relatives of patients diagnosed with coeliac disease, being members of the Polish Coeliac Society and purchasing gluten-free products. A population of n = 819 was included in the studied group based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria (n = 547 of patients and n = 272 of family members/relatives of patients). The study was conducted as a part of an international project to assess the opinions of coeliac-disease patients about gluten-free products, as well as the availability and prices of gluten-free products in various countries, while an identical questionnaire was applied in all participating countries, with transcultural adaptation applied. Opinions concerning the availability of and satisfaction with gluten-free products were assessed based on a questionnaire of agreement with fixed statements about the accessibility, range and quality of gluten-free products in Poland, with a five-point Likert scale to declare the agreement. This was stratified by the following variables: age, place of residence, being diagnosed with coeliac disease, place of purchasing major grocery shopping, gluten-free products at least occasionally bought online, declared problem(s) with the availability and quality of gluten-free products. While comparing the studied sub-groups, it may be stated that some of them were more satisfied than the other sub-groups with the gluten-free products, including their availability and quality; namely, older respondents were more satisfied than younger ones (p < 0.05), respondents living in small towns/villages were more satisfied than those living in big cities (p < 0.05), respondents undertaking major grocery shopping in hypermarkets were more satisfied than those not doing this (p < 0.05), and respondents not buying gluten-free products online were more satisfied than those undertaking this at least occasionally (p < 0.05). At the same time, respondents diagnosed with coeliac disease were more satisfied with the availability and less satisfied with the quality of gluten-free products, while respondents with diagnosed family members/relatives were less satisfied with the availability and more satisfied with the quality (p < 0.05). The group of female coeliac-disease patients and female family members/relatives of patients diagnosed with coeliac disease was highly diverse in terms of their satisfaction with gluten-free products' availability and quality, whilst older respondents, respondents living in small towns/villages, respondents doing major grocery shopping in hypermarkets, and respondents not buying gluten-free products online were more satisfied. Respondents with family members/relatives diagnosed with coeliac disease declared serious efforts and sacrifice to purchase gluten-free products, which was associated with their higher satisfaction with quality and lower satisfaction with availability, while respondents diagnosed with coeliac disease chose easier options, resulting in their higher satisfaction with availability and lower satisfaction with quality.

Execution of revised BMIM similarity coefficient for part family formation in reconfigurable manufacturing system

The reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) is an advanced manufacturing strategy that enables precise adjustment of functionality and capacity to meet fluctuating demands economically. RMS focuses on part families, allowing configurations to be adapted for new part requirements. Optimizing flow line design to produce various parts involves minimizing reconfigurations and associated costs by enhancing operation sequence similarity. This article proposes a novel sequence optimization using the Longest Common Subsequence (LCS) method to reduce bypassing moves and machine idle times. The study introduces a similarity coefficient derived from LCS and employs average linkage hierarchical clustering to categorize parts in a case study. Unlike traditional methods, this approach considers material movements both before the initial machine and after the final processing station, addressing gaps in bypassing move calculations. The impact of different weighting scenarios for Type-II moves (ω) and machine idleness (β) on clustering was examined. For example, with Type-II move weights (ω) of {1.0, 0.6, 0.3, 0.0} and equal weightings for bypassing moves (α) and machine idleness (β) set at 0.5, a threshold value of 0.3 results in eight clusters, such as Cluster 1 {1, 11, 10, 12} and Cluster 3 {3, 5, 6, 4, 15, 9, 13, 14, 7, 8}. Lower threshold values lead to fewer clusters with larger sizes, indicating a more consolidated part family grouping. Various Type-II move weights and material handling scenarios demonstrate how different weighting configurations affect clustering and part family sizes. This approach enhances RMS efficiency by integrating comprehensive material handling considerations and optimizing clustering based on operational similarities.

Transcriptome Profile and Gene Expression During Different Ovarian Maturation Stages of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879).

Macrobrachium rosenbergii, or giant river prawn, is the most economically crucial cultured freshwater crustacean. A predominant challenge in developing crustacean aquaculture is reproduction management, particularly ovary maturation, where identifying regulative mechanisms at the molecular level is critical. Ovary is the primary tissue for studying gene and protein expressions involved in crustacean growth and reproduction. Despite significant interest in M. rosenbergii, its gene discovery has been at a relatively small scale compared to other genera. In this study, comprehensive transcriptomic sequencing data for different maturation stages of the ovary of M. rosenbergii were observed. The 20 female M. rosenbergii samples evaluated were categorised into four maturation stages, 1 to 4. A total of 817,793,14, 841,670,70, 914,248,78 and 878,085,88 raw reads were obtained from stages 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The assembled unique sequences (unigenes) post-clustering (n = 98013) was 131,093,546 bp with an average size of 1,338 bp. The BLASTX unigene search against National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), non-redundant (NR), nucleotide sequence (NT), Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes Orthology (KO), Swiss-Prot, Protein Family (PFAM), Gene Ontology (GO), and euKaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG) databases yielded 27,680 (28.24%), 7,449 (7.59%), 13,026 (13.29%), 22,606 (23.06%), 29,907 (30.51%), 30,025 (30.63%) and 14,368 (14.65%) significant matches, respectively, totalling to 37,338 annotated unigenes (38.09%). The differentially expressed genes (DEG) analysis conducted in this study led to identifying cyclin B, insulin receptor (IR), oestrogen sulfotransferase (ESULT) and vitellogenin (Vg), which are critical in ovarian maturation. Nevertheless, some M. rosenbergii ovarian maturation-related genes, such as small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-activating enzyme subunit 1, E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase RNF25, and neuroparsin, were first identified in this study. The data obtained in the present study could considerably contribute to understanding the gene expression and genome structure in M. rosenbergii ovaries throughout its developmental stage.

Development of the Liverpool Jewry Historical Database

The Liverpool Jewish community was the earliest to be formed in the north of England (c1745) and for much of the 19th century, it was the largest UK Jewish community outside London. However, examination of this important minority community from a social, demographic, and genealogical perspective has been severely hampered by the lack of a unified source of information about Jewish individuals and families resident in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries. This paper describes how a searchable database of all Jewish persons with a documented connection with the Liverpool area, from the earliest times to 1881, has been produced as a resource for historical, demographic, sociological, and genealogical research. It explains how Jewish individuals were identified by a novel use of distinctive names, occupations, and birthplaces in the secular census and vital records and, in combination with extant records held within the Jewish community, have been used to produce a database of several thousand persons, linked into family groups. It concludes that the principal aim of the project has been achieved, and the approach could act as a template for other religion/ethnicity-based groups.

The Role of Family Members on Decision Making Related to Fast Food

When it comes to consumer behavior, the impact that family members have on choices surrounding the consumption of fast food is a significant factor that plays a vital role. An investigation of the ways in which the dynamics of families influence preferences, choices, and consumption patterns within the fast-food sector is presented in this paper. The purpose of this study is to expose the complex web of decision-making processes that occur inside families by analyzing the roles and dynamics that exist within families, such as parental authority, sibling influence, and preferences that are passed down from generation to generation. In addition, it investigates the role that family norms, beliefs, and socio-economic backgrounds have on the decisions that people make about fast food, offering insight on the ways in which these elements jointly affect consumer behavior. For marketers and politicians who want to encourage healthy eating habits and address social problems connected to nutrition and health within family groups, it is essential to have a solid understanding of these interactions.

The archaeology of Old Nuulliit: Eigil Knuth’s investigations in the Thule region, North Greenland, 1952–1990

Count Eigil Knuth succeeded in finding a Palaeo-Eskimo settlement named ‘Old Nuulliit’ on the well-known Nuulliit site in the Thule area. This site was interpreted as having been settled by the first immigrants to Greenland – a hitherto unknown culture group, ‘the Old Nuulliit Culture’, which was closely related to Palaeo-Eskimo culture groups in Alaska. Knuth never published his findings in detail, and they became a mystery in Arctic archaeology circles. New investigations by the author of the material show that the site was settled repeatedly by the first immigrants between 2500 BC and 1900 BC, and in addition that a total of ten family groups of the Pre-Dorset culture had settled there – the first real settlement of the Pre-Dorset culture in Greenland to be described. The finds underscore the cultural and historical diversity of the Thule area.

EXPRESS: Curbing Adolescents’ Risky ‘Drinking’ Behavior with Authenticity

Adolescents’ risky drinking behavior continues to be a public policy concern and insights into effective messages and behaviors that resonate with adolescents is needed. Evidence points to the potential of tapping into adolescents’ need for authenticity. Drawing on authenticity literature and implementing a mixed methods approach using family group interviews, followed by a 1x3 between-subject experiment with adolescents, this research conceptualizes a novel authentic engagement framework for reducing adolescent risky behavior. The findings identify and test that messages about drinking need to acknowledge positive aspects while warning of the negative consequences (i.e. mixed messages) across three dimensions - social, hedonic and safety. Alongside mixed messages, parents need to be honest about past experiences and align their behavior by acting as positive role models. Importantly, adolescents need an environment which enables them to experiment while having clear boundaries. Together this translates into openness and authenticity; critical for trust and the ability for adolescents to be true to themselves. The research has implications for parents and policy makers/marketers engaging with adolescents authentically about risky behavior, by providing information on message type and behaviors for effective training/educational programs and responsible drinking campaigns. The framework can be transferred to other contexts involving risky behavior.

Genes or nurture? Discussion of the wrong question

The paper presents a polemics with a thesis formulated by J. Harris that group socialization theory is an alternative to family nurture. The thesis, indeed, “annihilates” the nurture category and the existing achievements of education sciences off the scientific discourse. The text focuses on an analysis of consistency of arguments regarding the main aspects of the theory in question, identified at four levels of tensions between: genes and environment, child and adult, family and peer group, and being raised in the family and socialization in peer group. The inconsistencies and overinterpretations, expressed by J. Harris in her “systemic” depreciation of child-rearing, inspired some reflections about the possible roles of nurture viewed in the paradigm of biological and spiritual evolution synthesis.

Family and Peer Group Support Related to The Quality of Life of Thalassemic Adolescents in Outpatient Settings

Family and Peer Group Support Related to The Quality of Life of Thalassemic Adolescents in Outpatient Settings

Identification of Potential Growth-Related Proteins in Chick Vitreous during Emmetropization Using SWATH-MS and Targeted-Based Proteomics (MRMHR).

The vitreous humor (VH) is a transparent gelatin-like substance that occupies two-thirds of the eyeball and undergoes the most significant changes during eye elongation. Quantitative proteomics on the normal growth period in the VH could provide new insights into understanding its progression mechanism in the early stages of myopia. In this study, a data-independent acquisition (SWATH-MS) was combined with targeted LC-ESI-MS/MS to identify and quantify the relative protein changes in the vitreous during the normal growth period (4, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days old) in the chick model. Chicks were raised under normal growing conditions (12/12 h Dark/light cycle) for 28 days, where ocular measurements, including refractive and biometric measurements, were performed on days 4 (baseline), 7, 14, 21 and 28 (n = 6 chicks at each time point). Extracted vitreous proteins from individual animals were digested and pooled into a left eye pool and a right pool at each time point for protein analysis. The vitreous proteome for chicks was generated using an information-dependent acquisition (IDA) method by combining injections from individual time points. Using individual pool samples, SWATH-MS was employed to quantify proteins between each time point. DEPs were subsequently confirmed in separate batches of animals individually on random eyes (n = 4) using MRMHR between day 7 and day 14. Refraction and vitreous chamber depth (VCD) were found to be significantly changed (p < 0.05, n = 6 at each time point) during the period. A comprehensive vitreous protein ion library was built with 1576 non-redundant proteins (22987 distinct peptides) identified at a 1% false discovery rate (FDR). A total of 12 up-regulated and 26 down-regulated proteins were found across all time points compared to day 7 using SWATH-MS. Several DEPs, such as alpha-fetoprotein, the cadherin family group, neurocan, and reelin, involved in structural and growth-related pathways, were validated for the first time using MRMHR under this experimental condition. This study provided the first comprehensive spectral library of the vitreous for chicks during normal growth as well as a list of potential growth-related protein biomarker candidates using SWATH-MS and MRMHR during the emmetropization period.

Evolution of sex differences in cooperation can be explained by trade-offs with dispersal.

Explaining the evolution of sex differences in cooperation remains a major challenge. Comparative studies highlight that offspring of the more philopatric sex tend to be more cooperative within their family groups than those of the more dispersive sex but we do not understand why. The leading "Philopatry hypothesis" proposes that the more philopatric sex cooperates more because their higher likelihood of natal breeding increases the direct fitness benefits of natal cooperation. However, the "Dispersal trade-off hypothesis" proposes that the more dispersive sex cooperates less because preparations for dispersal, such as extra-territorial prospecting, trade-off against natal cooperation. Here, we test both hypotheses in cooperatively breeding white-browed sparrow weavers (Plocepasser mahali), using a novel high-resolution automated radio-tracking method. First, we show that males are the more dispersive sex (a rare reversal of the typical avian sex difference in dispersal) and that, consistent with the predictions of both hypotheses, females contribute substantially more than males to cooperative care while within the natal group. However, the Philopatry hypothesis cannot readily explain this female-biased cooperation, as females are not more likely than males to breed within their natal group. Instead, our radio-tracking findings support the Dispersal trade-off hypothesis: males conduct pre-dispersal extra-territorial prospecting forays at higher rates than females and prospecting appears to trade-off against natal cooperation. Our findings thus highlight that the evolution of sex differences in cooperation could be widely attributable to trade-offs between cooperation and dispersal; a potentially general explanation that does not demand that cooperation yields direct fitness benefits.

Persistent predators: Zooarchaeological evidence for specialized horse hunting at Schöningen 13II-4

The Schöningen 13II-4 site is a marvel of Paleolithic archaeology. With the extraordinary preservation of complete wooden spears and butchered large mammal bones dating from the Middle Pleistocene, Schöningen maintains a prominent position in the halls of human origins worldwide. Here, we present the first analysis of the complete large mammal faunal assemblage from Schöningen 13II-4, drawing on multiple lines of zooarchaeological and taphonomic evidence to expose the full spectrum of hominin activities at the site—before, during, and after the hunt. Horse (Equus mosbachensis) remains dominate the assemblage and suggest a recurrent ambush hunting strategy along the margins of the Schöningen paleo-lake. In this regard, Schöningen 13II-4 provides the first undisputed evidence for hunting of a single prey species that can be studied from an in situ, open-air context. The Schöningen hominins likely relied on cooperative hunting strategy to target horse family groups, to the near exclusion of bachelor herds. Horse kills occurred during all seasons, implying a year-round presence of hominins on the Schöningen landscape. All portions of prey skeletons are represented in the assemblage, many complete and in semiarticulation, with little transport of skeletal parts away from the site. Butchery marks are abundant, and adult carcasses were processed more thoroughly than were juveniles. Numerous complete, unmodified bones indicated that lean meat and marrow were not always so highly prized, especially in events involving multiple kills when fat and animal hides may have received greater attention. The behaviors displayed at Schöningen continue to challenge our perceptions and models of past hominin lifeways, further cementing Schöningen's standing as the archetype for understanding hunting adaptations during the European Middle Pleistocene.

How Family Group Conferencing Can Support a Contextual Safeguarding Response to Community-based Youth Harm: Lessons for Practice from a Participatory Study

Abstract This article reports on a study that brought Family Group Conferencing (FGC) and Contextual Safeguarding together to create an innovative practice response to extra-familial harm. It took place as part of a wider research project into the implementation of Contextual Safeguarding—an ecological approach to creating safety for young people harmed outside the home. Whilst there is growing understanding in social care of the contextual dynamics of young people’s safeguarding needs beyond their homes, many remain unsure about what it means, in practice, for them to create safety in a context. Using data collected via participatory and embedded research methods, this article considers how FGCs were adapted to create responses to youth harm that shifted the focus from ‘family’ to ‘community’; addressed the ‘social conditions of harm’; and drew on practitioners’ existing FGC skills. It demonstrates conceptual alignment and practice benefits for bringing the two approaches together and argues that drawing on the value-base and skills of FGC coordinators has considerable potential. The article highlights three key elements that are needed to recreate similar responses, namely: organisational mandate/support; conceptual framework aligned to ecological theory; and skills and attributes that include facilitation, working restoratively and with authority in challenging situations.

Predicting UK Domestic Electricity and Gas Consumption between Differing Demographic Household Compositions

This paper examines the influence of building characteristics, occupant demographics and behaviour on gas and electricity consumption, differentiating between family groups; homes with children; homes with elderly; and homes without either. Both regression and Lasso regression analyses are used to analyse data from a 2019 UK-based survey of 4358homes (n = 1576 with children, n = 436 with elderly, n = 2330 without either). Three models (building, occupants, behaviour) were tested against electricity and gas consumption for each group. Results indicated that homes without children or elderly consumed the least energy. Property Type emerged as the strongest predictor in the Building Model (except for homes with elderly), while Current Energy Efficiency was less significant, particularly for homes with elderly occupants. Homeownership and number of occupants were the most influential factors in the Occupants Model, though this pattern did not hold for homes with elderly. Many occupant and behaviour variables are often considered ‘unregulated energy’ in calculations such as SAP and are thus typically disregarded. However, this study found these variables to be significant, especially as national standards improve. The findings suggest that incorporating occupant behaviour into energy modelling could help reduce the energy performance gap.

PROPOSING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE MODELS AS ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING CRIMINAL MATTERS: A CASE STUDY OF JUDICIAL SYSTEMS IN CIVIL AND COMMON LAW COUNTRIES

Background: In recent years, restorative justice has emerged as a mechanism to enhance the involvement of victims in criminal proceedings. Its primary objective is to repair the damage caused by the offence, acknowledging it as a genuine injury in need of healing. While criminal proceedings might vary across jurisdictions based on fundamental principles of human rights, the broader aim is to offer a more comprehensive response to crime, aiming not only to punish but also to reform offenders and reduce future criminal behaviour. Methods: This qualitative study employed a descriptive, analytical method, utilising case studies and comparative analysis to explore restorative justice models in established judicial systems and their applicability to unestablished framework countries. By analysing and synchronising secondary materials, the research aimed to provide in-depth insights into successful practices and potential adaptations. Results and conclusions: The results reveal that several restorative justice models have been developed all over the world to align with the legal, socio-political, and cultural contexts of different regions and jurisdictions, such as Canada, New Zealand, and Norway. Despite the variety of restorative justice models, this exploratory study scrutinised four non-adversarial decision-making models: victim-offender mediation, community reparative boards, family group conferencing, and circle sentencing. These four models illustrate an alternative approach to community involvement in crime response, emphasising the diversity and shared themes of community engagement in sanctioning processes. The results offer resourceful guidelines for unestablished judicial systems like Vietnam to choose models best suited to specific needs.

Artificial intelligence in applied family research involving families with young children: A scoping review

AbstractObjectiveThis scoping review systematically examined the applied family science literature involving families raising young children to understand how relevant studies have applied artificial intelligence (AI)‐facilitated technologies.BackgroundFamily research is exploring the application of AI. However, there is a critical need for a review study that systematically examines the varied use of AI in applied family science to inform family practitioners and policymakers.MethodComprehensive literature searches were conducted in nine databases. Of the 10,022 studies identified, 21 met inclusion criteria: peer‐reviewed journal article; published between 2014–2024; written in English; involved the use of AI in collecting data, analyzing data, or providing family‐centered services; included families raising young children 0–5 years; and was quantitative in analysis.ResultsMost studies focused on maternal and child health outcomes in low‐ and middle‐income countries. All studies identified were in the AI use domain of data analysis, with 76% of the studies having a focus on identifying the most important predictors. Random forest performed as the best machine learning model. Only one study directly mentioned the ethical use of AI.ConclusionOverall, the applied family science evidence base that employs AI is limited in size and scope, with most studies using AI for data analysis purposes with limited ethical considerations.ImplicationsAI models in applied family science can inform family services and policies aimed at promoting family and child health. However, thoughtful consideration of AI ethics and fairness is needed to prevent the negative social impacts of AI on marginalized groups of families and their young children.